The Bum's Sept. CFB POD's-Stats-News !

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 2

Thursday's game
East Carolina gave up 370 yards passing in 52-38 win over ODU in its opener; Pirates are 16-10 as home favorites since 2006, 6-4 under Ruffin. ECU has junior QB (13 starts) and experienced OL (88 starts). Florida Atlantic lost its best return guy to grades; they're 7-1 as road dogs after covering in 34-6 (+31) loss at Miami last week (TY 250-503). Owls' QB has only two starts, its OL only 28- they gave up 303 yards rushing at Miami. ECU better not look ahead to Virginia Tech game next week.

Friday's games
Wake Forest/Boston College split last 10 games; Wake won last couple meetings, 27-19/28-14- they're 3-2 in last five visits here, with losses by 3-10 points. Underdogs are 6-4 vs spread in series, 3-2 here. Since '07, Deacons are 7-15 as road underdogs. BC has ten defensive starters back; they were down 14-7 at half to I-AA Villanova last week, won 24-14 in game, forcing four turnovers (TY 413-355). Eagles are 3-7 in last 10 tilts as a home favorite. Both teams have experienced QBs and three senior starters on offensive line.

Home side won both Central Florida-FIU games last two years; Knights avenged upset loss in '11 with 33-20 win (-17) LY (TY 431-306). Over last decade, UCF is 9-15 as road favorite, 2-5 last two years- they've got game at Penn State next week, will probably overlook this some. FIU is 9-6 as home dog since '06, but they were 1-4 LY- they lost seven starters on both sides of ball, including all five starters on OL. UCF has one of more underrated QBs in country (Bortles, 15 starts); they averaged 11.8 yards/pass attempt last week, converted 9-14 on third down in waxing Akron 38-7 (-23.5).

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NCAAF

Week 2

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Thursday's NCAAF action: What bettors need to know
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With the NFL season opener stealing the spotlight, Thursday's two college football contests are in the dark. That could mean added value with football bettors looking elsewhere for action. Here's a quick look at this pair of games:

FAU Owls at East Carolina Pirates (-20.5, 54)

The Owls expect to have freshman QB Greg Hankerson back under center after he left FAU’s 34-6 loss to Miami with a rib injury. Hankerson fell on the football while being tackled, leaving passing duties to sophomore Jaquez Johnson. Johnson, who started the game and split time with Hankerson, was 11 for 20 for 83 yards passing and added 30 yards rushing. Owls offensive coordinator Brian Wright will alternate between the two Thursday.

East Carolina won’t be rolling out the welcome mat for FAU in its first C-USA game. The Pirates put up 52 points in a warm-up win over Old Dominion in Week 1 (52-38) but failed to cover as 15-point home favorites. Quarterback Shane Carden set a school record with 447 yards passing (ECU had 481 total yards of offense) in that win, finding WR Justin Hardy for 191 of those gains and WR Davon Grayson for three touchdowns on four catches.

Key betting stat: Over is 6-1 in Pirates’ last seven games overall.


Sacramento State at Arizona State Sun Devils (-37)

Arizona State and Sacramento State will be looking for their first points of the season Thursday night, but only the host Sun Devils will be playing their opener. The FCS' Hornets are coming off a 24-0 loss at San Jose State, and the opposition doesn't get any easier with Arizona State. The Sun Devils are looking to build upon an 8-5 record in coach Todd Graham's inaugural season in the desert, and with 17 returning starters Arizona State plans to contend with nationally-ranked USC and UCLA in the Pac-12 South Division.

Of those returning starters, quarterback Taylor Kelly and defensive tackle Will Sutton stand out. Kelly had a breakout campaign as a sophomore last season, passing for 3,039 yards and 29 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Sutton is the reigning Pac-12 defensive player of the year after recording 63 tackles and 13 sacks in a dominant junior year.

Key betting stat: Over is 7-1 in Sun Devils' last eight Thursday games.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, September 5

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Florida Atlantic - 7:30 PM ET East Carolina -20.5 500 POD # 3

East Carolina - Over 54 500 POD # 4


Sacramento State - 10:00 PM ET Arizona State -36 500 POD # 1

Arizona State - Over 49.5 500 POD # 2

[StarDust Bum]

Wake Forest at Boston College

September 4, 2013


Match-up: Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Boston College Eagles
Venue: Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts (FieldTurf)
Date: Thursday, September 5, 2013
Time/TV: 8:00 PM ET - ESPN2
Line: Boston College -3, Over/Under 48.5
Last Meeting: 2012, Wake Forest (-3.5) 28-14 vs. Boston College

There are not many wordsmiths around that can write a lede to get the casual football fan fired up for Friday's ACC showdown in Chestnut Hill between Boston College and Wake Forest. All I can say is there's a side and a total and, well, isn't that all we need?

As of Wednesday morning, most betting shops had Boston College (1-0 straight up, 0-1 against the spread) installed as a three-point home favorite with the total ranging from 48.5 to 50. Gamblers can back the Demon Deacons on the money line for a +135 return (risk $100 to win $135).

Wake Forest (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) opened the season with a 31-7 win over Presbyterian but failed to cover the number as a 38-point home favorite. The 38 combined points fell 'under' the 51-point total.

Senior quarterback Tanner Price threw for 219 yards and one touchdown without an interception. He also had a three-yard TD run. Price didn't have his favorite target, WR Michael Campanaro, due to a hamstring injury.

Campanaro was a second-team All-ACC selection last season despite missing a pair of games and parts of another. He finished 2012 with 79 catches for 763 yards and six TDs. Campanaro has been upgraded to 'probable' Thursday and is expected to start.

Jim Grobe's team produced 408 yards of total offense and limited Presbyterian to just 151 yards. The Deacs coughed up a pair of fumbles, but the defense created six turnovers and had three interceptions, including a 29-yard pick-six for sophomore linebacker Brandon Chubb.

The Steve Addazio Era at BC got off to a rough start as the Eagles trailed Villanova 14-7 at halftime in their opener last Saturday. But senior QB Chase Rettig led his team on a pair of third-quarter TD drives and BC eventually captured a 24-14 win in a non-covering victory as a 15-point favorite. The 38 combined points remained 'under' the 47.5-point total.

Rettig connected on 23-of-30 throws for 285 yards and two TDs without an interception. Senior WR Alex Amidon, a first-team All-ACC selection in 2012, hauled in 13 receptions for 146 yards, including a 49-yard scoring strike from Rettig. Senior RB Andre Williams rushed for 114 yards and one TD on 23 carries.

BC had 413 yards of total offense compared to 355 for 'Nova. The Eagles won the turnover battle 4-1, intercepting the Wildcats three times.

Since 2010, BC has limped to a 3-7 spread record in 10 games as a home favorite. Since 2007, Wake Forest has been abysmal as a road underdog, going 7-15 ATS.

From 2007-2010, BC won four in a row over Wake both SU and ATS. But the Deacs have won the last two encounters, including last year's 28-14 win as 3 ½-point home 'chalk.' The 42 combined points stayed below the 52.5-point total to produce the third consecutive 'under' in the head-to-head series.

Price torched the Eagles last year by completing 39-of-57 passes for 293 yards and three TDs. Campanaro had 16 receptions for 123 yards and three TDs.

Rettig threw for 357 yards and one TD in the losing effort, but he was intercepted three times. Amidon made 10 catches for 130 yards and one TD.

ESPN2 will provide television coverage at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.'s Bonus Nuggets**

--BC finished 2012 with a 2-10 SU record and a 4-8 ATS mark. The Eagles brought back eight starters on offense and 10 on defense.

--Wake went 5-7 both SU and ATS last season. The Deacs returned seven starters on offense and eight on defense.

--BC has lost WR Bobby Swigert to a season-ending injury. Swigert had 23 receptions for 268 yards and one TD last year. He had four catches for 56 yards in last year's loss to Wake. Swigert also had a 12-yard TD pass on a trick play.

--Florida starting OG Jon Halapio has officially been declared 'out' at Miami. RB Matt Brown will start but his cardio is a major question mark after he missed nearly all of August with a viral infection. The heat is obviously going to be major issue with the noon Eastern kickoff. Therefore, expect to see Mack Brown get the bulk of the carries for UF. Will Muschamp has indicated that true freshman Kelvin Taylor will see increased playing time. 'Baby Fred,' the son of the Gator legend, had fumbling issues during training camp and that's why he didn't play until late in the fourth quarter vs. Toledo. Taylor rushed five times for 43 yards against the Rockets, demonstrating an explosive burst through the hole similar to how his Pops used to do it at The Swamp from 1994-97.

--Kent St. RB Dri Archer has been upgraded to 'probable' vs. Bowling Green. He left last week's game with an ankle injury after rushing just three times for 10 yards. Archer rushed for 1,429 yards and 16 TDs last season, averaging 9.0 yards per carry.

--Middle Tennessee QB Logan Kilgore has been upgraded to 'probable' at North Carolina.

--Coaches on the Hot Seat:
1-Lame Chafin' (Southern Cal)
2-Bobby Hauck (UNLV)
3-Paul Pasqualoni (UConn)
4-Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
5-Tim Beckman (Illinois)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Everything is relative; when you look at BYU-Virginia stats from Cavs' 19-16 win last week, keep in mind the game was played in a monsoon.

-- Guard Michael Dixon is eligible for Memphis' basketball team, excellent news for Josh Pastner and the Tigers.

-- 29 of 53 players on Rams' roster are in their 1st or 2nd season.

-- CEO of McDonald's made $13.8M last year. Talk about golden arches; $13.8M buys a lot of Happy Meals.

-- Giants are 0-11 in Barry Zito's road starts this year. 0 and 11.

-- Red Sox were shut out five times in John Lackey's last eleven starts.


*****

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Things I'm looking for this weekend.........

13) NFL opened last night; there are 13 games Sunday, two on Monday. How will the rookie QBs (Manuel/Smith) do and Terrelle Pryor, who might as well be a rookie- how will he fare at Indy?

12) Georgia is -3 against South Carolina, after Dawgs laid an egg at Clemson, botching a tying 25-yard FG on a bad snap. Gamecocks smothered North Carolina in their opener, but this is the SEC opener and this is a big game

11) Cleveland Browns are 1-13 in season openers, but are pick ‘em Sunday at home against the Dolphins, in Chudzinski’s debut as Browns’ HC. Curious to see Brandon Weeden playing under Norv Turner’s tutelage.

10) Florida-Miami will be a noontime steambath Saturday; Gators struggled to 24-6 win over Toledo Saturday. Miami is on the way back; this will be a good yardstick for them.

9) Will Jay Cutler play better after the Bears fired the generally-successful Lovie Smith to bring in a QB guru as head coach? Smith is only the 4th NFL coach since 1990 to get canned after winning 10+ games; Cutler’s play better improve a lot.

8) Tom Brady is 36 and is without his top five pass catchers from LY; interested to see how they fare at a Buffalo team with a new coach, rookie QB and very low expectations.

7) LY, Oklahoma beat West Virginia 50-49, when the Mountaineers lost despite gaining 778 yards in a amazingly weird game. WVU is rebuilding on offense—they struggled with William & Mary last week, so this could be a long day for them.

6) Sean Payton is back on the sideline after getting suspended LY for things one of his assistants did; expect the New Orleans offense to bounce back to its 2010-11 levels.

5) San Diego State, South Florida both lost by 20+ points last week to I-AA teams, now Aztecs go to Ohio State, and USF goes to Michigan State. Good luck, fellas.

4) Underdogs covered 11 of last 14 Notre Dame-Michigan games, with dogs winning ten of those games SU. Last Irish visit to Ann Arbor for while, since ND ended this rivalry.

3) Mike Leach’s Coogs are better than they’ve been in while, but are they good enough to challenge a USC team that still hasn’t really decided on which QB it wants to play. Wazzu had a shot at beating Auburn last week—I’m looking forward to this game.

2) 73-year old Monte Kiffin is the new DC in Dallas, after his son fired him at USC. (Really, he did) Cowboys should be better on defense, but they’ve lost at home to the Giants four years in a row. As much as the networks put Dallas on in primetime, it would be nice if they played like they deserved the attention.

1) Packers lost twice to San Francisco LY, including a playoff game in Candlestick. Tough opener here; 49ers had some injuries in the offseason. Good 4:25 game for FOX, for those of you won’t be watching my Rams play Arizona.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's games
Wake Forest/Boston College split last 10 games; Wake won last couple meetings, 27-19/28-14- they're 3-2 in last five visits here, with losses by 3-10 points. Underdogs are 6-4 vs spread in series, 3-2 here. Since '07, Deacons are 7-15 as road underdogs. BC has ten defensive starters back; they were down 14-7 at half to I-AA Villanova last week, won 24-14 in game, forcing four turnovers (TY 413-355). Eagles are 3-7 in last 10 tilts as a home favorite. Both teams have experienced QBs and three senior starters on offensive line.

Home side won both Central Florida-FIU games last two years; Knights avenged upset loss in '11 with 33-20 win (-17) LY (TY 431-306). Over last decade, UCF is 9-15 as road favorite, 2-5 last two years- they've got game at Penn State next week, will probably overlook this some. FIU is 9-6 as home dog since '06, but they were 1-4 LY- they lost seven starters on both sides of ball, including all five starters on OL. UCF has one of more underrated QBs in country (Bortles, 15 starts); they averaged 11.8 yards/pass attempt last week, converted 9-14 on third down in waxing Akron 38-7 (-23.5).

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Short Sheet

Week 2

Friday, September 6, 2013

Wake Forest at Boston College, 8:00 ET ESPN2
Wake Forest: 25-11 Under after having a TO margin of +2 or better
Boston College: 2-11 ATS in the first half of the season

Write-In Game:

Central Florida at Florida International, 8:00 ET CBSSN
Central Flordia: 1-8 ATS off a home win
Florida Int: 10-1 Under at home after allowing 42+ points

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

09/05/13 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
09/02/13 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
09/01/13 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail

Totals 7-*3-*0 70.00% +1850


Friday, September 6

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Wake Forest - 8:00 PM ET Wake Forest +3 500 POD # 2


Boston College - Under 48.5 500 POD # 3



Central Florida - 8:00 PM ET Central Florida -24.5 500 POD # 1



Florida International - Over 53 500 POD # 4

[WThotrod]

Best of luck, my friend! Just returned from a much needed vacation. I am putting $500 on all POD's. Thank GOD football is back! Let's do this!

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Short Sheet

Week 2


Saturday, September 7, 2013

#12 Florida at Miami FL, 12:00 ET ESPN
Florida: 20-7 Under off a SU home win / ATS loss
Miami FL: 8-0 ATS with a line of +3 to -3

Miami OH at Kentucky, 12:00 ET
Miami OH: 0-6 ATS as a road underdog
Kentucky: 21-9 Over at home after committing 1 or 0 turnovers

South Florida at Michigan State, 12:00 ET ESPNU
South Florida: 8-1 Under as an underdog
Michigan State: 0-8 ATS in home games

#13 Oklahoma State at Texas San Antonio, 12:00 ET FS1
Oklahoma State: 18-6 Under as a road favorite
Texas SA: 5-1 ATS off an ATS win

Houston at Temple, 12:00 ET
Houston: 10-23 ATS after scoring 42+ points
Temple: 30-16 ATS off an Under

(TC) North Texas at Ohio U, 7:00 ET
North Texas: 10-23 ATS after allowing 14 points or less
Ohio U: 21-8 SU at home after committing 1 or 0 turnovers

Middle Tennessee State at North Carolina, 12:30 ET
Mid Tenn State: 12-3 Over away off a win by 17+ points
North Carolina: 6-1 ATS off a road loss

(TC) Cincinnati at Illinois, 12:00 ET ESPN2
Cincinnati: 8-1 ATS with a total of 49.5 to 56 points
Illinois: 2-13 ATS after allowing 325+ passing yards

(TC) West Virginia at #16 Oklahoma, 7:00 ET FOX
West Virginia: 6-1 Over off a non-conference game
Oklahoma: 7-20 ATS after having 300+ rushing yards

(TC) #6 South Carolina at #11 Georgia, 4:30 ET ESPN
South Carolina: 6-0 ATS after allowing 14 points or less
Georgia: 8-1 Over in September

San Diego State at #3 Ohio State, 3:30 ET ABC | ESPN2
San Diego State: 13-4 ATS away after committing 14+ turnovers
Ohio State: 0-6 ATS at home off a home game

Utah State at Air Force, 3:30 ET CBSSN
Utah State: 7-0 ATS after forcing 1 or 0 turnovers
Air Force: 3-11 ATS in home games

South Alabama at Tulane, 3:30 ET
South Alabama: 2-10 ATS playing on artificial turf
Tulane: 16-4 ATS off a win by 21+ points

#2 Oregon at Virginia, 3:30 ET ABC | ESPN2
Oregon: 8-0 ATS in road games
Virginia: 1-8 ATS in September

Duke at Memphis, 4:30 ET
Duke: 5-1 ATS as a favorite
Memphis: 6-12 ATS as a home underdog of 3.5 to 7 points

Syracuse at #19 Northwestern, 6:00 ET BTN
Syracuse: 10-23 ATS away after allowing 100 or less rushing yards
Northwestern: 7-0 ATS in home games

Navy at Indiana, 6:00 ET BTN
Navy: 15-3 ATS as a road underdog of 7.5 to 14 points
Indiana: 4-13 ATS after having 525+ total yards

#15 Texas at BYU, 7:00 ET ESPN2
Texas: 6-0 Over away in the first half of the season
BYU: 10-1 ATS off a road loss by 3 points or less

UAB at #9 LSU, 7:00 ET ESPNU
UAB: 6-0 ATS off a SU loss / ATS win
LSU: 0-5 ATS off a combined score of 60+ points

(TC) Toledo at Missouri, 3:30 ET ESPNU
Toledo: 18-6 ATS after scoring 14 points or less
Missouri: 8-21 ATS off a win by 28+ points

Colorado State at Tulsa, 7:00 ET CBSSN
Colorado State: 1-8 ATS off a non-conference game
Tulsa: 6-0 ATS off a road game

(TC) Arkansas State at Auburn, 7:30 ET
Arkansas State: 10-2 ATS in road games
Auburn: 3-9 ATS off an Under

(TC) Army at Ball State, 1:00 ET
Army: 1-9 ATS in road games
Ball State: 13-4 ATS playing on artificial turf

(TC) Eastern Michigan at Penn State, 12:00 ET BTN
Eastern Michigan: 8-20 ATS off a home win
Penn State: 9-0 Under vs. non-conference opponents

(TC) Buffalo at #23 Baylor, 3:30 ET
Buffalo: 0-6 ATS off an Over
Baylor: 12-2 ATS in home games

(TC) Bowling Green at Kent State, 12:00 ET
Bowling Green: 6-0 Under in road games
Kent State: 8-1 ATS vs. conference opponents

(TC) Western Kentucky at Tennessee, 12:20 ET
Western Kentucky: 7-0 ATS off a SU win as an underdog
Tennessee: 6-1 Over off a non-conference game

(TC) Louisiana Lafeytte at Kansas State, 6:30 ET FS1
LA Lafayette: 11-2 Over off a road game
Kansas State: 29-15 ATS at home off a loss

#14 Notre Dame at #17 Michigan, 8:00 ET ESPN
Notre Dame: 15-5 ATS as a road underdog of 7 points or less
Michgian: 22-42 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points

Hawaii at Oregon State, 8:00 ET
Hawaii: 7-0 Over off a non-conference game
Oregon State: 22-10 ATS at home off a home game

Minnesota at New Mexico State, 8:00 ET
Minnesota: 4-0 Under sa a road favorite of 14.5+ points
New Mexico State: 17-36 ATS after allowing 475+ total yards

(TC) Idaho at Wyoming, 4:00 ET
Idaho: 0-6 ATS off a road loss by 21+ points
Wyoming: 9-0 ATS after allowing 375+ rushing yards

New Mexico at UTEP, 8:00 ET
New Mexico: 9-1 ATS offa SU loss as a home favorite
UTEP: 1-8 ATS as a favorite

Washington State at #25 USC, 10:30 ET FS1
Washington State: 32-16 Over in September
USC: 3-11 ATS last 14 games overall

Arizona at UNLV, 10:30 ET CBSSN
Arizona: 15-5 Over on Saturdays
UNLV: 9-23 ATS off a loss by 28+ points

San Jose State at #5 Stanford, 11:00 ET
San Jose State: 6-0 Over off a home game
Stanford: 17-4 ATS on Saturdays


(TC) = Time Change

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 2

Saturday's games
Top 13 games

Florida-Miami haven’t met since ’08; Gators haven’t played ‘canes here since ’03. Both teams won fairly handily last week, Miami outgained FAU 503-250, led 20-3 at half; Gators outgained Toledo 415-205, led 17-3 at half, but neither covered as big favorites. Since 2007, Florida is 12-4 as road favorite; they’re 27-12 vs spread in last 39 non-league games (1-4 last five). Miami is 8-3-1 as underdog under Golden; over last decade, they’re 5-2 as home dogs. Both teams have veteran QBs and experience OLs.

Temple lost 28-6 at Notre Dame last week because their kicker is awful; they left 10+ points on field when game was close; total yardage in game was 543-362. Owl QB Reilly is pretty good. Houston-Temple are league rivals who haven’t met since ’89 because AAC is new league. Since ’08, Cougars are 6-14 as road favorites- they’ve got veteran QB (9 starts) and four starters back on OL- they whacked outmanned Southern 62-13 last week (627-372 TY, 27-6 at half). Temple is just 5-6 vs spread as a dog since Golden left for Miami, but Owls are 13-7-1 in last 21 tries as a home dog.

In his three years at Texas Tech, Tuberville was 6-1-1 vs spread as a road favorite; his Cincinnati team is 8-5 as road faves since ’09, 9-4 in last 13 non-league games. Cincy has all five starters back on OL, including three seniors. Since ’06, Illinois is 7-5 as home dog; they’re 9-6 in last 15 non-league games. Illini also has experienced OL but no seniors start there. Bearcats (-10.5) crushed Purdue of Big Dozen 42-7 last week, running ball for 221 yards, passing for 204, good balance. Illini beat I-AA Southern Illinois 42-34, giving up 341 passing yards, not a good sign.

LY, West Virginia gained 778 yards vs Oklahoma, and lost 50-49, in an amazingly odd game in which WVU ran ball for 458 yards and lost, which almost never happens, except maybe to a service academy. Austin/Bailey/Jones are all in NFL now; Mountaineers struggled to beat I-AA Wm & Mary 24-17 last week (trailed 17-7 at half); since ’05, they’re 9-3 as road underdogs (3-1 under Holgorsen). Since ’06, Sooners are 26-15-1 as home favorites; they threw for 554 yards in this game LY. OU outgained ULM 429-166 last week, but completed only 14 of 33 passes.

South Carolina beat Georgia last three years, after losing seven of previous eight meetings; they’ve won two of last three visits between hedges, with underdogs 3-0-1 vs spread in Carolina’s last four visits here. Dawgs outgained Clemson 545-467 last week, but botched tying 25-yard FG late in third quarter and lost by 3; Georgia has only three starters back on defense- they’re 11-7 as home favorites since ’10, but since ’04, they’re 10-16 in game following a loss. Gamecocks are 14-9-1 as road dogs under Spurrier, 21-16-2 overall as dogs in his tenure. Both teams have veteran QBs and experienced OLs. SEC opener for both.

Duke (-23) beat Memphis 38-19 LY, outgaining Tigers 500-152 despite a -4 turnover ratio. Blue Devils are football road favorite for first time since 2005; they’re 8-3-1 vs spread as favorites under Cutcliffe, though and 11-7 in last 18 non-ACC games. Duke has four starters back on very experienced OL (118 starts) with an inexperienced QB. Memphis was 3-1 as home dogs in Fuente’s (former Oklahoma QB) first year as HC; they had been 4-11 as home dogs from ’09-’11. Tigers didn’t play last week, so that helps Duke, which got to work some kinks out in 45-0 win over I-AA chump. Memphis has a senior QB (12 starts) and 54 starts back on OL.

Northwestern (-1) won wild 42-41 game in Carrier Dome LY, despite being outgained 596-337. Wildcats were 5-0 as home favorites LY, after being 6-17 in that role from ’03-’11. Fitzgerald’s team lost its QB early last week at Cal, scored two defensive TDs in second half and left Bay Area with 44-30 win (-6). Cal’s hurry-up offense gained 558 yards despite Wildcats faking injuries to slow it down. Syracuse (+7.5) lost 23-17 to Penn State in Swamp, getting outgained 353-260; game was 6-3 at half- SU is 14-7-1 vs spread in last 22 non-league games. Neither team is experienced on OL or at QB, but Wildcats’ program has more continuity, with Marrone gone to NFL.

Over last decade, Navy is 24-8 vs spread as road underdog; Middies (-3) ran ball for 257 yards in 31-30 home win over Indiana last year, in game Hoosiers led 30-21 in 4th quarter; Middies didn't play last week, while Hoosiers waxed I-AA foe 73-35 in game where its offense gave Indiana State two TDs. Since 2004, Hoosiers are 11-8 as home favorite (2-2 with Wilson)- they've got 19 starters back from LY. Navy has soph QB with nine starts and three starters back on OL.

BYU forced 13 punts but lost 19-16 in quagmire at Virginia last week, so hard to learn much from that; Cougars (+7) lost 17-16 at Texas couple years ago- they're 2-3 as home underdog under Mendenhall. BYU has a soph QB and only 49 starts on its OL, so they're rebuilding. Texas has one of most experienced OLs in country (129 starts); Longhorns waxed a poor New Mexico State team 56-7 last week, after struggling (14-7) in first half. Since '08, Texas is 11-6 as a road favorite- they covered seven of last nine non-league games. Longhorns lost seven defensive starters from LY, so this will be a tougher test than Aggies were last week. '

Auburn (-15.5) ran ball for 295 yards last week but struggled in passing game (10-20/99); they're 3-6 in last nine games as home favorite, 14-23 in last 37 non-SEC games. Malzahn led Arkansas State to 10-3 record LY, then bolted for Auburn, as Red Wolves are now on 4th HC in four years; they've got ten starters back on offense, only three on defense, will be more motivated team here. Tigers have SEC games with Miss State/LSU next two weeks, better not look past ASU, which is 21-6 SU in its last 27 games. ASU is 4-1 as road dog last two years- they've got four starters back on OL. Auburn has no senior starters on OL.

Underdogs covered seven of last nine Bowling Green-Kent State games, with Kent winning last three meetings by 7-12-24 points, after going 1-7 in previous eight series games. Falcons won five of last six trips to Kent; underdogs covered seven of their last eight visits here. BG has senior QB with 36 starts as one of 19 returning starters- they ran ball for 233 yards in 34-7 win over Tulsa last week, while Flashes struggled to beat Liberty (I-AA team) 17-10 (TY 361-222). Kent has only 43 starts back on OL; they're also on third HC in last four years, after Hazell left for Purdue, and they're playing a redshirt freshman QB.

Underdogs won 10 of last 14 Notre Dame-Michigan games SU, with dog 11-3 vs spread in those games; ND lost six of last seven visits here, with losses in last three visits: 35-31/38-34/38-0. Over last eight years, Irish are 13-7 as road dogs (4-1 in three years under Kelly); they ended this rivalry because of move to ACC- this is their last visit to Ann Arbor for foreseeable future. Michigan lost 13-6 in South Bend LY despite -4 TO ratio; they're 8-5 as road dog under Hoke, havwe junior QB (10 starts) and OL with 63 starts. Senior Rees has 19 starts for ND, which has 83 starts back on OL and eight starters back on defense. Home team won five of last six series games.

USC won its last eight games vs Washington State (6-2 vs spread), with Coogs losing last four visits here (1-3 vs spread) by 21-33-42-27 points, but their last visit here was in '10. Trojans completed only 15-29 thru air last week, converted only 3-14 on 3rd down in 30-13 win at Hawai'i, as Kiffin hasn't settled on a QB yet. Wazzu (+15.5) lost 34-27 at Auburn, giving up 295 rush yards, but they had chance to win; Coogs are 10-8 in last 18 games as road underdog, have 82 starts back on OL and are much improved in Leach's second year. USC is 7-3 as home favorite last two years; they've got four starters back on OL, will try to pound ball here.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 2

Notes on rest of Saturday's games........

-- Favorites are 23-12 vs spread in Kentucky’s last 35 games; Wildcats were 7-3 as home favorite under Phillips, but got off to bad start in Stoops era, losing to Western Kentucky on neutral field.
– Michigan State failed to cover last seven games as a home favorite, is 7-9 vs spread in last 16 non-league games, but South Florida lost 53-21 last week to I-AA McNeese State; hard to endorse either side.
-- Oklahoma State was 0-3 as home favorite LY, after being 18-5 from ’03-’11; Cowboys covered nine of last 13 non-league games.
– Ohio U is 4-7 in last 11 tries as home favorite; they’re on short week after getting roughed up by Louisville Sunday. North Texas passed for 404 yards in 40-6 (-16) win over Idaho last week.

– North Carolina is 9-5 vs spread as home favorite last two years; since ’05, Middle Tennessee is 11-15 as a road underdog. Both teams have senior QBs.
– San Diego State lost 40-19 at home to I-AA Eastern Illinois last week. Oy. Ohio State is 6-9 in last 15 games as home favorite, 3-7 in last ten non-league games.
– Utah State outgained rival Utah 487-450 last week, but lost tough 30-26 game, while Air force ran option for 409 yards in easy win over I-AA Colgate. First Mountain West game for Aggies.
– Since 2007, Tulane is 2-10 vs spread when favored at home; Green Wave better not look ahead to TV date with Louisiana Tech in next game.

– Virginia beat BYU 19-16 in monsoon last week, despite punting 13 times. Oregon makes long trip east- they’re 7-0 as road favorites last two years.
– Nebraska covered seven of last nine games as a home favorite, but only four of last 11 non-league games. Huskers allowed 35 first downs in 37-34 win over Wyoming last week, 33 of them on either 1st or 2nd down- they lost seven defensive starters from LY.
– Since ’05, Missouri is 22-11 vs spread in non-league games. Toledo was outgained 415-205 in 24-6 (+23) loss at Florida last week; Rockets covered seven of last eight games as a road underdog.
– Colorado State is on short week after 41-27 loss to Colorado in Denver Sunday; State was outgained 509-295. Since ’10, Tulsa is 11-6 as a home favorite; they got crushed 34-7 at Bowling Green Thursday, giving up 233 rushing yards.

– Ball State won last two meetings with Army 48-21/30-22, after losing previous two games with Cadets; Cardinals are 4-1 as home favorites under Lembo. Army is 1-6 as road dogs last two years.
– Eastern Michigan was outgained 384-380 by I-AA Howard last week. Penn State turned ball over four times last week, throwing for 296 yards, running for just 57 in 23-17 neutral field win over Syracuse, in frosh QB Hackenburg’s first college game.
– Baylor is 11-6 as home favorite under Briles; they don’t leave Waco until Oct 12. Buffalo covered four of last five games as a road underdog. – Since start of 2011, Western Kentucky is 12-0 vs spread away from home. Tennessee has 128 starts back on offensive line, one of most experienced in country; they were 1-5 as home favorite LY, after being 17-9-1 from ’07-’11.

– Kansas State lost at home to I-AA North Dakota State last week; Wildcats have only two starters back on defense from LY. ULL was outgained 522-274 in 34-14 (+10.5) loss at Arkansas.
– Oregon State lost 49-46 at home to I-AA Eastern Washington last week; since ’09, Beavers are 5-9 as home favorites (4-1 LY). Hawai’I (+24) lost 30-13 at home to USC last week, covering on last-minute TD pass (364-231 TY).
– Minnesota scored TDs on kick return, blocked FG and on defense in 51-23 (-13.5) home win over UNLV last week; Gophers are 12-7 vs spread in last 19 games as road favorites. New Mexico State was onluy down 14-7 at Texas at half last week, lost 56-7 (+43).

– Wyoming lost 37-34 at Nebraska last week but had 35 first downs, most ever vs Husker team; Cowboys outgained Huskers 602-503 despite being just 2-9 on third downs. Idaho (+16) lost 40-7 at North Texas, giving up 404 passing yards.
– Home side won five of last six New Mexico-UTEP games; Lobos lost last three visits here, by 4-8-3 points. Miners didn’t play last week, while New Mexico lost at home to Texas State, completing just 6-17 passes and getting shut out in second half.
– UNLV has nine starters back on both sides of ball but gave up three TDs on offense/special teams last week in 51-23 loss (+13.5) at Minnesota. Since 2008, Arizona is 2-8-1 vs spread as a road favorite.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Week 2

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Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet: Afternoon action
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Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Wisconsin Badgers (-45)

If first-year head coach Gary Andersen can keep the Wisconsin defense performing on par with its running game, then Saturday's non-conference game against visiting Tennessee Tech could be just the latest in a long line of victories for the nation's 21st-ranked team. The Badgers ran for 393 yards last week in a 45-0 rout over Massachusetts, but more importantly, their new 3-4 defense shut out the Minutemen while holding them to 3.6 yards per play. "If I could characterize it in one word, it would be solid," defensive end Ethan Hemer said. "Guys made plays, caused turnovers. It was overall a pretty solid performance."

Tennessee Tech had an impressive showing of its own by posting a 63-7 victory over Cumberland of the NAIA. The margin of victory was its largest in a season opener. Sophomore Ladarius Vanlier had back-to-back touchdowns of more than 50 yards and quarterback Darian Stone passed for two scores and ran for two more while leading the offense to 505 total yards.

Key betting stat: Badgers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven non-conference games.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions at TCU Horned Frogs (-43)

Senior quarterback Casey Pachall will remain Texas Christian's starting quarterback despite a late-game switch in last week's loss to Louisiana State. Sophomore Trevone Boykin, who started nine games last year after Pachall left for an impatient rehab facility, could play wide receiver when the No. 24 Horned Frogs host Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. "If anything we need to get the ball to (Boykin)," coach Gary Patterson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sunday. "He played well as a wide receiver."

The Lions had a record day behind former Oregon quarterback Bryan Bennett but will have their hands full against a Horned Frogs' defense that has allowed 17 or fewer points eight times during an 11-game win streak in home openers. Patterson wouldn't divulge the availability for sophomore defensive lineman Devonte Fields, who was given a two-game suspension in May for breaking team rules. Fields is listed atop the team's depth chart and coaches are worried about the possibility of injury for next week's game against Texas Tech, but a decision will come from Patterson and TCU chancellor Victor Boschini.

Key betting stat: Horned Frogs are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games.

Florida Gators at Miami Hurricanes (+3, 48)

The state of Florida has produced some of the most bitter rivalries of the last generation in college football, and No. 9 Florida and No. 24 Miami are gearing up for another chapter on Saturday. The Hurricanes will host the Gators in what could be the last meeting for the foreseeable future, as Florida will lose a non-conference game in a proposed expansion to a nine-game SEC schedule. Miami and the Gators will both be putting strong defenses on display.

The Hurricanes are having a harder time finding their way into the top half of the Top-25 than in-state rivals Florida and Florida State, but showed plenty of promise in a Week 1 drubbing of Florida Atlantic. Miami sophomore running back Duke Johnson shouldered most of the offensive load and will be attacking a Florida defense that surrendered only 50 yards on the ground in its opening win over Toledo. Johnson racked up 186 yards despite sitting out most of the second half.

Key betting stat: Gators are 1-5 ATS in their last six non-conference games.

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (+26, 59.5)

It certainly did not take long for J.W. Walsh to earn the respect of Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. After coming off the bench in the Cowboys’ season opener, Walsh will start at quarterback in Saturday’s game at UTSA. Gundy said earlier this week that Walsh, a sophomore, would likely play the entire game, leaving fifth-year senior Clint Chelf on the bench for 14th-ranked Oklahoma State.

Chelf played the first two series last week against Mississippi State before Gundy switched to Walsh, who completed 18-of-27 passes for 135 yards. Walsh also ran for 125 yards and a score, while Jeremy Smith added 102 rushing yards and a pair of TDs in the 21-3 victory. The Cowboys’ defense bottled up the Bulldogs and will look to do the same against the Roadrunners, who scored 21 unanswered points to win at New Mexico last week 21-13.

Key betting stat: Under is 21-7-1 in Cowboys' last 29 road games.

Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Louisville Cardinals (-41)

No. 8 Louisville looks feed off the momentum of its explosive season-opening victory as it hosts Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater became the first Player of the Week in American Athletic Conference history, rolling up 355 yards and tying a career high with five touchdown passes in the Cardinals' 49-7 trouncing of Ohio. Louisville coach Charlie Strong's first collegiate win came against the Colonels in 2010.

Eastern Kentucky entered the season following an 8-3 finish in 2012, tying for second in the Ohio Valley Conference with Tennessee-Martin. The Colonels cruised to a 38-6 win over Robert Morris last week in the debut for 11 starters. Quarterback Jared McClain, who was taking over for Eastern Kentucky's all-time passing leader T.J. Pryor, passed for two scores and ran for two more in the victory.

Key betting stat: Cardinals are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing less than 275 total yards in their previous game.

South Carolina State Bulldogs at Clemson Tigers (-52.5)

Seven days after posting one of its biggest victories in recent memory, Clemson hopes to avoid a letdown against visiting South Carolina State on Saturday. The Tigers moved up to fifth in the national poll after edging previously No. 5 Georgia 38-35 in a Week 1 thriller. Tajh Boyd threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores in a win that “turned a lot of heads in college football,” according to the senior quarterback.

As Boyd continues his early-season push for Heisman Trophy consideration, the matchup with FCS foe South Carolina State presents an opportunity to rack up some impressive stats. The Bulldogs faced two FBS programs in 2012, losing to Arizona and Texas A&M by a combined margin of 126-14. In their 2013 season opener, South Carolina State held a slim halftime lead before falling to Coastal Carolina 27-20.

Key betting stat: Over is 7-1 in Tigers last 8 games in September.

San Diego State Aztecs at Ohio State Buckeyes (-27.5, 56)

Second-ranked Ohio State looks to stretch the nation’s longest winning streak to 14 games when it hosts San Diego State on Saturday. The Buckeyes defeated Buffalo 40-20 in their season-opening game and will have junior All-American cornerback Bradley Roby back from a one-game suspension due to a disorderly-conduct incident. San Diego State has just one victory in 32 road contests against ranked teams, and that victory occurred last season when the Aztecs won 21-19 at Boise State.

San Diego State got off to a poor start as it committed five turnovers and was drubbed at home 40-19 by FCS school Eastern Illinois. Buckeyes junior quarterback Braxton Miller, who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting last season, passed for 178 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 77 yards against Buffalo. Miller has 2,063 career rushing yards and needs 18 more to surpass Cornelius Greene (1973-75) as the most prolific running quarterback in Ohio State history.

Key betting stat: Aztecs are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games.

Oregon Ducks at Virginia Cavaliers (+22.5, 61)

No. 3 Oregon takes its high-powered offense on the road to Virginia on Saturday, the farthest east the Ducks have played since a 1977 trip to Georgia. The Ducks, who have never played an ACC team during the regular season, own the nation's longest road win streak at 15 games. The Ducks had eight touchdown drives last less than two minutes and racked up a school-record 772 yards against Nicholls State last week in Mark Helfrich's debut as head coach.

The Cavaliers got a taste of an up-tempo offense last week as BYU gained 362 yards on 93 plays. Oregon and BYU each averaged 16.7 seconds per play last Saturday, but the Ducks' speed still is unlike anything first-year Virginia defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta has seen. "The plays are similar, everybody runs the similar plays ... out of the spread offense," Tenuta said during this week's conference call. "There's a lot of similarities based on that aspect, but as far as the speed factor is concerned, in the last few years, no."

Key betting stat: Cavaliers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine home games.

South Carolina Gamecocks at Georgia Bulldogs (-3, 56)

Sixth-ranked South Carolina opens its SEC schedule Saturday with an opportunity to take a big step toward winning the East Division title as it visits No. 12 Georgia. Junior defensive end Jadeveon Clowney struggled throughout the Gamecocks' season-opening 27-10 victory over North Carolina due to a stomach virus, looking nothing like the player who won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2012. South Carolina displayed a balanced offensive approach in scoring the game’s first 17 points and will look to continue that trend this week.

Georgia’s defense struggled in a 38-35 loss at Clemson, allowing 13 plays of at least 10 yards. The bad news was not limited to that side of the ball - junior wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee celebrating the Bulldogs’ first touchdown and will miss the rest of the season. Two areas of focus for Georgia this week will be better results on third down (4-for-14 in the opener) and playing smarter (nine penalties for 84 yards).

Key betting stat: Road team is 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Week 2

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Saturday's NCAAF Top 25 betting cheat sheet: Evening action
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Syracuse Orange at Northwestern Wildcats (-17, 53)

Backup quarterback Trevor Siemian was the hero for Northwestern against Syracuse last season, and he may get a chance to squeeze the Orange again this weekend. In Northwestern’s 2012 season opener, Siemian came on for an injured Kain Colter and threw the game-winning touchdown pass with 44 seconds left, lifting his team to a 42-41 victory over the Orange. With Colter banged up again, Siemian could get the start for the No. 20 Wildcats on Saturday in their home opener versus Syracuse.

Northwestern is coming off a 44-30 victory at California in which the offense piled up 508 yards despite Colter suffering a concussion on the opening drive. Siemian came on to pass for 276 yards and a touchdown, while the Northwestern defense also made some big plays, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns by junior linebacker Collin Ellis. Syracuse fell to Penn State 23-17 last week in the debut of senior quarterback Drew Allen, a transfer from Oklahoma who was 16-of-37 for 189 yards and two interceptions against the Nittany Lions.

Key betting stat: Wildcats are 8-0 ATS in their last eight home games.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Nebraska Cornhuskers (-28, 59.5)

Nebraska survived a scare from Wyoming in its season opener but should be able to celebrate a larger margin of victory when it hosts Southern Mississippi on Saturday. The No. 19 Cornhuskers allowed a stunning 602 yards in a 37-34 victory over Wyoming and strive for a much better performance against the Golden Eagles, who possess the nation’s longest losing streak at 13 consecutive games. Southern Miss lost 22-15 to Texas State in Todd Monken’s debut as coach.

The Golden Eagles outgained FCS school Texas State 400-207 but sabotaged themselves with six turnovers – four fumbles, two interceptions. Nebraska’s yardage allowed was its second-most ever in a victory (610 versus Ball State in 2007) as a young unit took its lumps against Wyoming and allowed eight plays of 20 or more yards. Senior quarterback Taylor Martinez bruised his left shoulder during the contest and is expected to be fully ready by kickoff.

Key betting stat: Golden Eagles are 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. Big Ten.

Texas Longhorns at BYU Cougars (+7, 57.5)

No. 16 Texas set a school mark for total offense in its opener and now faces a tough defensive squad when it visits Brigham Young on Saturday. The Longhorns rolled up 715 yards in a 56-7 rout of New Mexico State and had four scoring plays of 50 or more yards for the first time in program history. Brigham Young finished third in total defense last season and allowed 223 yards and forced 13 punts in a season-opening 19-16 loss to Virginia.

The Cougars hope to have senior receiver Cody Hoffman on the field after he missed the opener with a hamstring injury. Hoffman had eight 100-yard receiving games last season and ranks third in BYU history in receiving touchdowns (28), fourth in career receptions (203) and fifth in receiving yardage (2,718). Texas has won 13 consecutive non-conference road games and is attempting to get back into the national championship discussion this season after going 22-16 over the last three years.

Key betting stat: Longhorns are 4-0 ATS in their last four non-conference games.

UAB Blazers at LSU Tigers (-34.5, 60.5)

No. 11 LSU will look to carry forward the offensive fortitude it displayed in last week’s season-opening 37-27 victory over TCU, but as the Tigers host UAB on Saturday, there will be a focus on eliminating the mistakes that kept the opener close. The Tigers gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown, set up another TCU score with a fumble at their 6-yard line and kept a drive alive with a roughing the passer penalty. “If we improve on our tackling, we minimize some of the penalties, we don’t turn the ball over, it could have been a much different game,” LSU coach Les Miles told reporters Tuesday.

The Tigers figure to have an easier time with a UAB squad that allowed 497 yards and blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in a 34-31 overtime loss to Troy in its season opener. The Blazers allowed 319 yards passing as Troy quarterback Corey Robinson set a NCAA record by completing 93.8 percent of his passes (30-for-32). LSU senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger passed for 251 yards and a touchdown against TCU in Cam Cameron’s first game as offensive coordinator, and the Tigers’ defense surrendered only 259 yards.

Key betting stat: Over is 7-3 in Tigers' last 10 non-conference games.

West Virginia Mountaineers at Oklahoma Sooners (-21, 57.5)

No. 15 Oklahoma and visiting West Virginia enter Saturday's Big 12 opener after debuting new quarterbacks and improved defenses in season-opening wins last week. The Sooners, who posted their first shutout since 2010, pointed to a 2012 meeting with the Mountaineers as one of their defensive low points. "Between that night (a 50-49 road win) and what happened in the bowl game (a 41-13 loss to Texas A&M), it obviously convinced us that we needed to adjust our defense," defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said at Monday's press conference. "(We had to) be more flexible and more diverse and put more pressure on the quarterback."

West Virginia posted a second-half shutout in a rally against William & Mary after an inexperienced defense settled down. Junior quarterback Paul Millard has been tabbed the starter for the Mountaineers for the second straight week but junior backup Clint Trickett could figure in the offense attack. Oklahoma redshirt freshman Trevor Knight showed off more of his running ability than his arm in his debut.

Key betting stat: Mountaineers are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games overall.

Sam Houston State Bearkats at Texas A&M Aggies (-37.5)

One week before its highly anticipated showdown with No. 1-ranked Alabama, seventh-ranked Texas A&M welcomes FCS opponent Sam Houston State to Kyle Field on Saturday. All eyes figure to be on Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, who tossed three touchdown passes in the second half of the Aggies’ 52-31 win over Rice last Saturday. The sophomore quarterback was also benched late in the game after drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taunting.

Manziel’s antics overshadowed the Aggies’ season-opening win, which featured a shaky performance by the defensive unit. With five defensive starters suspended, Texas A&M allowed a surprising 509 yards of total offense against Rice. Two of the suspended players are due back against Southland Conference opponent Sam Houston State, which extended its home win streak to 15 games with a 74-0 victory over Houston Baptist last Saturday.

Key betting stat: Under is 8-2 in Aggies last 10 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Wolverines (-3.5, 50)

Notre Dame hasn't won at Michigan's "Big House" since 2005, a fact the 13th-ranked Fighting Irish need to remedy Saturday to keep their hopes of getting back to the national championship game alive. The 17th-ranked Wolverines seek their 400th victory at Michigan Stadium - and their 16th straight under coach Brady Hoke. Michigan has won six of its last seven home games versus Notre Dame, including three straight - one shy of its longest home win streak in the series.

The Wolverines hold a 23-16-1 edge in the series between the teams with the two best winning percentages in college football history. But the Irish defense dominated last year's matchup, intercepting Denard Robinson five times in a 13-6 victory. That sort of defensive performance would be even more impressive against this Michigan team, which rolled up 463 yards in a 59-9 win over Central Michigan last week.

Key betting stat: Home team is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.

Washington State Cougars at USC Trojans (-15.5, 53.5)

No. 22 USC hopes explosive tailback Silas Redd will be ready when it begins Pac-12 Conference play against visiting Washington State on Saturday. Redd missed last week's game at Hawaii, further hampering an offense in flux. The Trojans still haven't decided on a starting quarterback for Saturday with Max Wittek and Cody Kessler still battling for Matt Barkley's old job.

The Cougars opened the season with a hard-fought 31-24 loss at Auburn last week. Washington State surrendered a kickoff return for a touchdown and had its comeback hopes ended when Connor Halliday was picked off in the end zone with five minutes left. Washington State has lost 20 straight games to ranked opponents and hasn't beaten USC since 2002.

Key betting stat: Over is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings.

San Jose State Spartans at Stanford Cardinal (-25, 48.5)

Stanford enters its season opener Saturday against visiting San Jose State as a heavy favorite, but the Spartans are very capable of making things interesting. San Jose State has won eight straight and 12 of its last 13 games, including a 24-0 win over Sacramento State in Week 1. The Spartans are unlikely to be overlooked by the fourth-ranked Cardinal, who won their fifth straight game in the series last season by a narrow 20-17 margin.

San Jose State’s upset hopes are fueled by senior quarterback David Fales, who is 12-2 as a starter and ended last season as the nation's most accurate passer. He’ll be tested by a Stanford defense that led the country in sacks last season and returns eight starters, including linebackers Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy. The Spartans’ running game could struggle without starting tailback Tyler Ervin, who hasn’t practiced since leaving last Thursday's game with a right foot injury.

Key betting stat: Spartans are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Saturday, September 7

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Game of the Day: Notre Dame at Michigan
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Wolverines (-4, 50)

Notre Dame hasn't won at Michigan's "Big House" since 2005, a fact the 13th-ranked Fighting Irish need to remedy Saturday to keep their hopes of getting back to the national championship game alive. The 17th-ranked Wolverines seek their 400th victory at Michigan Stadium - and their 16th straight under coach Brady Hoke. Michigan has won six of its last seven home games versus Notre Dame, including three straight - one shy of its longest home win streak in the series.

The Wolverines hold a 23-16-1 edge in the series between the teams with the two best winning percentages in college football history. But the Irish defense dominated last year's matchup, intercepting Denard Robinson five times in a 13-6 victory. That sort of defensive performance would be even more impressive against this Michigan team, which rolled up 463 yards in a 59-9 win over Central Michigan last week.

TV: 8:12 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: Michigan opened at -3.5 and has been bet up to -4.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-70s and there is a 29 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Wind will blow toward the north end zone of the Big House at 4 mph.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (1-0): The Irish faced some turmoil in the offseason, most notably losing quarterback Everett Golson when he was suspended from the school for the fall semester. Tommy Rees stepped in under center and was effective in last week's 24-6 win against Temple, going 16-for-23 for 346 yards and three touchdowns. The defense, dominant during the undefeated regular season a year ago, picked up where it left off but will have its hands full with a Michigan team loaded with talent at the skill positions.

ABOUT MICHIGAN (1-0): The Wolverines' offense flourished last week under quarterback Devin Gardner, who was 10-of-15 for 162 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 52 yards and two scores. Gardner has accounted for at least two touchdowns in six straight games. The defense had a strong showing, as well, holding Central Michigan to 210 total yards and forcing two turnovers as the Wolverines aim for a third consecutive season ranking in the top 20 in the nation in total defense.

TRENDS:

* The Fighting Irish are 4-1 ATS in their last five versus the Big Ten.
* The over is 4-0 in the Wolverines' last four home games.
* The home team is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* The underdog is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Notre Dame is 11-0 when it does not commit a turnover under coach Brian Kelly, whose five-year contract extension was announced Saturday.

2. Michigan K Brendan Gibbons has made a school record-tying 14 consecutive field goals dating to last season.

3. Eighteen of the past 28 meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer